Control apparatus



4/flzm S ATTORNEY May. 3,1927. 1,626,659 8. O. AUSTIN ET AL CONTROL APPARATUS Filed may 24. 19211 a sheets-sheen WITNESSES: INVENTOR-S May a, 1927. 1,626,659

' B. o; AUSTIN ET AL CONTROL APPARATUS Filed May 24. 1921 3 Sheets- Sheet 3 I 4 I l f 1 K I ,2

- WITNESSES: INVENTORS W M 5. BascumOflusTin. 2

1 William GJIorn.

$4 0M v V Patented May 3, 1927 UNITED STATES BASCUM O. AUSTIN, OF \VILKINSB'URG, AND WILL FARMS, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO VJESTIN -"-l'v'l 52-. EF-EORN,-OF BRYN MAWR OUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, A CORPORATION 033 PENNSYLVANIA.

CONTROL APPARATUS.

Application filed May 24,

Our invention relates to control apparatus and systems and it has particular relation to controllers for governing the operation of relatively complicated control systems, such, for example, as those em ployed in electric cars, and the like.

One object of our invention is to provide an improved controller which shall be relatively simple and rugged in construction and economical and ellective in operation.

Another object cl our invention is to pre vent a contri'iller from being; actuated through certain positions while the control system that it governs is energized, thereby preventing the establishment of short-ch cuits or severe arcing at contact members that are not designed to be subjected to heavy-current interruptions.

Briefly speaking, our invention consists in providing a controller shaft with a can'i member, locating a switching device or relay that governs the energization of the control system adjacent to the controller shaft and providing means for preventing the switching device and the controller shalt from occupying certain positions simultaneously.

For a better understanding of our invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 of which is a view, in side eleva tion, of a controller constructed in accordance with our invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views, partly in cross section, taken along the line 11-41 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5!; is a view, in end elevation, oi the controller shown in Fig. l;

Fig, is a crosssectional view taken Along the line V--V of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a control system employing our in vention.

Referringparticularly to Fig. l, a controller 1 comprises a casing 2, a cover member 3, a shaft 4 and a handle 5 for actuating the shaft l. A reversing drum 6 is securely mounted upon the shaft t to be actuated thereby, and a foot drum 7 is re tatably mounted upon. the shaft l to be actuated by a gear-wheel 8 forming part of the drum 7. The gear-wheel 8 may be actuated by a segmental gear member 9 that s mounted upon, a shall; 10, which, in turn,

1921. Serial No. 472,199.

may be actuated by a -foot mechanism (not shown).

A plurality of contact fingers 12 are provided for engaging contactsegments 13 which are mounted upon the reversing drum 6. The contactlingers 12 are adapted to be electrically connected to the actuating; coils of the reversing switches (not shown) for the control system.

A plurality of contactlingers l l are arranged to engage a plurality of contact segments 15 which are also mounted upon the reversing: drum 6. The contact lingers ll are adapted to be connected to a plurality of series and parallel contaotors (not shown) of the control system which are adapted to change the connections of a plurality of motors from series to parallel relation.

The foot drum 7 is provided with a plurality of contact segments 16 which are adapted to engage a 'ilurality of contact lingers 17. The contact lingers 17 are electrically connected to the auxiliary control resistor 18 which is shown in 6.

Refer ing to Fig. 4: of the drawing, the handle 5 may be actuated from a centre. oil? position to a plurality of operating positions 1, 2 and 3, respectively correspond inn to the series connections of the car motors with all the starting" resistance in circuit therewith, full speed series connections of the motors and full-running parallel connections of the motors.

The controller handle 5 may be actuated in a reverse direction to cited: reverse operation of the motors and may be still further actuated in a reverse direction to effectemergrency dynamic brnlrin g.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 oi the drawing, a cam men'iber 21 is securely nn'iunted' upon the shaft and is provided. with a plurality oi indentations Q2, :23, 23*, 23", 24 and 25 correspoutlineto the oil position, the several series and parallel positions, the reverse position and the dynaniiic-braking positions, respectively, that may be occupied by the controller handle 5, as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing. A position-accentuating pawl member 26 is pivotally mounted upon a stud 27 and is provided with a projection 28 upon. which a rotatable annular member 29 is adapted to engage the cam member 21 and to position itself in the indentations 9&3, 23, 23 and. 52.6. Th

pawl member 26 is provided with a cavity ill in which one end oi a resilient member 232 is positioned to maintain the member in engagement with the cam member 21.

The sides of the indentations 22, 23, 2% and are so inclined, that, upon the controller shalt abeing; actuated, the cam member 21 forces the rotatable annular member 29 and the pawl upon which it is mounted, outwardly, to thereby permit further movement of the shaft sl. The pawl member 28 tends to bias the shaft to whatever operating position the operator has actuated the handle 5.

A pivotally mounted lever or locking member 38 is mounted upon a bolt 3% and has its one end projecting out of the controller 1. The locking member 33 provided with a cavity in which a resilient member 36 is mounted to bias the member to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The locking member 33 is provided with a hug or projection 37. Vi hen the locking member 33 is in the position shown in Fig. 2. the outward movement or the pawl member 26 is limited to prevent ai'igular movement of the cam member 21 past the central or ott position of the controller 1. However, movement of the controller shaft is permitted so long as the handle 5 does not pass through the oil position.

A separate irregularly-shaped rigid memher or arm 38 is mounted upon the bolt 3% and is secured to the locking; member 33, by means or" a screw 39, to be actuated thereby. The member 38 engages a pin 40 which is mounted upon a movable member all forming part of a switching device 42, thereby actuating a contact linger 48.

The member 41 pivotall y mounted upon a stationary member or lug i l by means of a pin it". The contact linger 13 engages a stationary contact member 45 which is provided with a contact terminal lf). lhe contact linger is provided with a flexible conductor 445 to electrically connect it with a stationa contact terminal 41 The staticnary i all and the stationary con tact E6I;l"l are suitably secured to the insulating The 01 will be operation of the master controller 1. Before the master controller 1 can be actuated to its of? position. it is necessary that the locking' member 3 3 be actuated to the position shown in Fig. thereb permitting the pawl member 26 to be actuated past the lug ST. The pawl member 26 will be actuated outwardly by the movement of the cam member 21 until it occupies the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

When the cam member :21 is in this position, the switching device l2 must occupy its open position, thereby breaking a circuit illustrated in Fig. 6 ot the drawings l'r-rnn a trolley through switching device 42, foot drum 7, auxiliary control resistor 18. series-parallel drum (5 and the actuating coil ot the circuit-lneaker or line switch 5%, thereby permitting the line switch alto assume its open position and thus de-cnergize the control system comprising the controller 1'.

It will be impossible to close the switching de *ice 453 so long as the handle 5 is in the off position, as the cam member 21, cooperating with the pawl member 9-6. maintains the latching member 26 in its outer position, shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, thereby preventing the lug 37 from rotating past the latching member 26 and thus preventing the locking; member from returning to the position in Fig. 2.

lVhen the controller 1 is actuated to either side of the off position, the pawl member 26 is actuated toward the shaft 4 by the resilient member 32, whereupon the resilient member 36 returns the locking member 33 to the position shown in Fig, 2, thereby bringing the contact linger 43 into engagement with the contact segment 45.

From the above description, it is apparent that we have provided an effective and positive means oi preventing the actuation of a controller to its ott position until after a line switch has opened and have made it impossible to close the line switch so long as the controller is in the off position.

Ve have also provided means for yieldingly n'iaintaining the controller in whatever position it has been actuated by the operator. lVhilo we have shown our invention in a PIQECIXGG form, it is apparent that minor modifications may be made in the structural details and the arrzmojement of parts, sucl in the place at which the switching device is positioned in the control system, without departing: from the spirit of our invention. lVe desire, therefore. to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

'W claim as our invention:

1. In a controller. in combination a switclnoperatino drum. means adapted to retain said drum in dillerent positions, a main switch. means for actuating said main switch and means operated by said actuating means cooperative to limit the movement of. said drum when the main switch is closed. said drum retaining means being: adapted, when in a predetermined positiomto lOt'lC the main switch against operation.

2. In a controller, in combination a switch-operating drum. means adapted to retain said drum in different positions. a main switch, means for actuating said main switch. means operated by said actuating means cooperative to limit the movement of said drum when the main. switch is closed,

said drum-retaining means being adapted, when in a predetermined position, to lock the main switch against operation, and resilient means disposed to urge continuously the main switch to closed position, thereby to cited; its operation when released 3. In a controller, in combination, a switch-opcrating drum, means adapted to retain said drum in ditterent positions, a main switch, means for actuating said main switch, means operated by said actuatingmeans cooperative to limit the i'novement ot said drum when the main switch is closed, and resilient means disposed to urge continuously the main switch toward its closed position, thereby to eli'cct the closure of said main switch when released from said drum.

t. In a controller, in combination, a main switch, means for actuating the main switch, a switch-operatingr drum, a cam carried by the drum, i'neaus disposed to engage the cam to retain the drun'i in diti'erent positions, said cam being adapted, when in a predetermined position, to effect the locking ot the main switch-actuating means against operation.

5. In a combination controller, the

with a shaft, of a cam member secured to said shaft, a pawl member for engaging said cam men'ibcr, resilient means tor maintaining said pawl member in engagement with said cam member, a locking member for limiting the movement of said pawl member away from said cam member, and a switching device adjacent to said shaft and actuated by said locking member.

6. In a controller, the combination with a shaft, of a cam member secured to said shaft, a pawl member for engaging said cam member, resilient means for maintaining said pawl member in engagement with said cam member, a locking member for limiting the movement of said pawl member away from said cam member, a switching device adjacent to said shaft and actuated by said locking member, and resilient means for biasing said locking member to a predetermined position.

in testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 10th day of May, i921.

BASGUM O. AUSTIN. lVILLIAM G. HORN. 

